World’s Largest Time Capsule in Seward, Nebraska

Just outside of Lincoln, on an unassuming road, in the Southeast part of Nebraska, you’ll find a big pyramid-shaped object next to a sideways zigzag protruding from the ground. This is the world’s largest time capsule. And you won’t believe what’s inside!

World’s Largest Time Capsule in Seward, Nebraska

The late Harold Keith Davisson (1907-1999), a local writer, store owner, and historian, built the time capsule in 1975. It was sealed and dedicated on July 4, 1975 and is set to be opened 50 years later on July 4, 2025.

It’s only appropriate that both the dedication and future unveiling happen on Independence Day, as Seward is known as Nebraska’s Fourth of July City, and hosts an extravaganza every year, complete with live entertainment, a grand parade, a car show, a fireworks display, and more.

World’s Largest Time Capsule in Seward, Nebraska

Davisson buried the giant time capsule in front of House of Davisson Furniture, his home furnishings and appliances store, in order to show his grandchildren what life and the world was like at the time.

The capsule weighs in at 45-tons and the concrete structure measures 20 x 8 x 6-feet. In 1977, the Guinness Book of World Records certified the time capsule as the largest in the world. But this was met with controversy and protest. Oglethorpe University in Georgia disputed the record, claiming that they actually had the world’s largest time capsule, the “Crypt of Civilization.” While theirs was more of a crypt, with a single room on campus sealed off, Davisson wasn’t to be outdone, so, in 1983, he topped the original with a second piece: a giant concrete pyramid.

World’s Largest Time Capsule in Seward, Nebraska

So what is inside the world’s largest time capsule? It’s said that over 5,000 items are buried within, including a Kawasaki motorcycle, a leisure suit, bikini bottoms, letters from local parents, soda bottles, tapes, records, bowling pins, fireworks, and a scholarship fund.

World’s Largest Time Capsule in Seward, Nebraska

The pièce de résistance, though are the two cars: a brand new (well, at the time) Chevy Vega buried in the original plot and another used vehicle, either a 1975 Datsun or Toyota, that was added with the tomb addition in 1983.

World’s Largest Time Capsule in Seward, Nebraska - Site of World’s Largest Time Capsule containing a 1975 Chevrolet Vega plus a multitude of memorabilia of the year 1975. To be opened in the year 2025. Our aim "to preserve the present for the future." The Davisson Clan.
Site of World’s Largest Time Capsule containing a 1975 Chevrolet Vega plus a multitude of memorabilia of the year 1975. To be opened in the year 2025. Our aim “to preserve the present for the future.” The Davisson Clan.

2025 will be here before we know it, and the grand unveiling is set to happen during Seward’s Fourth of July celebration that year. I can’t wait to see what they find when the big time capsule is finally opened 50 years after it was buried!

In the meantime, stop by this Nebraska roadside attraction on your road trip to see the World’s Largest Porch Swing, the World’s Largest Covered Wagon, or Carhenge.

World’s Largest Time Capsule in Seward, Nebraska

World’s Largest Time Capsule

Address: 318 Hillcrest Dr, Seward, NE 68434
Hours: Always Visible
Cost: Free to See
To be Opened: July 4, 2025


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Buried in 1975 by Harold Keith Davisson, the World's Largest Time Capsule in in Seward, Nebraska is set to be opened 50 years later on July 4, 2025. Add this Nebraska roadside attraction to your road trip itinerary and travel bucket lists. A fun road trip stop for kids or adults.
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Buried in 1975 by Harold Keith Davisson, the World’s Largest Time Capsule in in Seward, Nebraska is set to be opened 50 years later on July 4, 2025. Add this Nebraska roadside attraction to your road trip itinerary and travel bucket lists. A fun road trip stop for kids or adults.
The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

BY Valerie Bromann

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.

VALerie BROMANN

Founder & Head Road Tripper

Val is the founder and head road tripper at Silly America. Having grown up near Berwyn's famed car kabob, The Spindle, and a restaurant with a cow on its roof, her fascination with roadside attractions started early. Today, Val has visited hundreds roadside attractions across the United States and is constantly on the lookout for the next BIG thing!